Motorcycle with auxiliary wheel

ABSTRACT

An auxiliary wheel is provided for a motorcycle and is carried in vertically adjustable relationship to the ground or support surface for the motorcycle. Suitable frame means support the wheel on the motorcycle and a drive or power system is provided for releasably engaging the conventional drive system of the cycle and connects to the wheel for driving the same when in road engaging position. The wheel will support the back portion of the motorcycle and permit its operation when the rear tire of the cycle is flat.

United States Patent [1 1 Smith 1 Oct. 23, 1973 MOTORCYCLE WITHAUXILIARY WHEEL [76] Inventor: Galen W. Smith, 1332 Inman St.,

Akron, Ohio 22 Filed: Dec. 29, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 213,358

[52] US. Cl. 180/16, 180/33, 280/150 A [51] Int. Cl 360k 25/00 [58]Field of Search ISO/16,15,131, 33,

' 180/25, 30, 1 AW; 280/150 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,636,997 7/1927 l-lelmling 180/15 1,390,441 9/1921 Jackson180/33 R 2,638,997 5/1953 Kember 180/15 Primary Examiner-Gerald M.Forlenza Assistant ExaminerJohn Mannix Att0rneyVern L. Oldham et al.

[57] ABSTRACT An auxiliary wheel is provided for a motorcycle and iscarried in vertically adjustable relationship to the ground or supportsurface for the motorcycle. Suitable frame means support the wheel onthe motorcycle and a drive or power system is provided for releasablyengaging the conventional drive system of the cycle and connects to thewheel for driving the same when in road engaging position. The wheelwill support the back portion of the motorcycle and permit its operationwhen the rear tire of the cycle is flat.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEUMI 23 1973 FIG.

I NVEN'TOR. GALEN W. SMITH FIG. 4

OLDHAM a OLDHAM ATTORNEYS 1 MOTORCYCLE WITH AUXILIARY WHEEL A motorcyclehaving an auxiliary wheel is provided by the invention and with thewheel being usable to support the cycle for temporary transport actionwith the rear wheel of the cycle being inoperative at such time.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION When a motorcycle has a flat tire, normallyappreciable difficulties are presented since no motorcycle normallycarries a spare tire. Thus, the driver of the cycle must either repairthe flat tire himself at the spot of the flat tire occurrence, or elsethe cycle must be otherwise transported to a repair area. Obviously,this presents appreciable difficulties and inconveniences.

The general object of the present invention is to provide an auxiliarywheel for a motorcycle and which wheel can be brought into engagementwith a road support surface for temporary drive of the motorcycle whenthe rear tire of the cycle is flat or otherwise inoperative.

Another object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary support wheelin a motorcycle which auxiliary wheel can be driven from theconventional drive means of the cycle.

Another object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary support wheelwith drive means which can be brought into and out of engagement withthe conventional drive of the cycle and with the auxiliary wheellikewise being movable to and from road engaging positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide auxiliary mechanism thatcan be attached to conventional cycles and provide for temporary supportof the cycle thereon and drive thereby when the rear tire of the cycleis incapacitated or flat, which apparatus can readily be attached tomost cycles in existence today.

A further object of the invention is to provide a relativelyinexpensive, but sturdy auxiliary wheel construction for a motorcyclefor temporary load support and transport use.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will bemade more apparent as the specification proceeds.

Reference now is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a phantom view of a motorcycle showing an embodiment of theauxiliary wheel of the invention secured thereto;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of the support means for theauxiliary wheel taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

When referring to corresponding members shown in the drawing andreferred to in the specification, corresponding numerals are used tofacilitate comparison therebetween.

INVENTIVE SUBJECT MATTER The present invention, as one embodimentthereof, relates to the improvement in motorcycles including a framehaving a rearwardly extending support member and drive means including achain extending rearwardly adjacent the support member to the rear wheelof the motorcycle, with a support frame secured to the support memberand extending downwardly thereform, a wheel operatively journalled onthe support frame adjacent the lower end thereof and movable verticallyof the support frame to and from a fixed lower position in which it isin engagement with the ground. Releasable drive means operativelyconnect the chain to the wheel to drive the same when in its fixed lowerposition.

With reference to the details of the structure shown in the drawings, amotorcycle is indicated as a whole by the numeral 10. This motorcycle 10includes a front wheel 12 and a rear wheel 14, each having conventionalpneumatic tires thereon. The motorcycle includes a suitable frame 16including a rearwardly extending support member 18, or fork which hastwo arms 18a and 18b positioned operatively on opposite lateral sides ofthe rear wheel 14 and positioning such wheel in a conventional manner. Adrive chain 20 is shown in the drawings and this connects to the drivemotor (not shown) of the motorcycle in a conventional manner foroperatively connecting to and driving the rear wheel 14 by a sprocket 22operatively connected thereto.

The feature of the invention resides in an auxiliary wheel assemblyindicated as a whole by the numeral 30 which is carried by themotorcycle 10 and is adapted to be brought into use temporarily when thetire on the rear wheel 14 would be deflated or otherwise damaged wherebythe motorcycle would be supported on the front wheel 12 and theauxiliary wheel assembly 30 and be driven through the auxiliary wheelassembly. A suitable support frame 32, of inverted U-shape, is suitablysecured to the yoke arms 18a and 18b of the support member 18immediately in front of the rear wheel 14, as by bolts or spot welds 34and extends downwardly therefrom. This bracket or support frame 32 isformed from metal and a pair of opposed vertically extending slots 36are provided in the lower ends of arms 38 of this support frame orbracket 32. Thus, a wheel 40 is journalled on and supported by andbetween the arms 38, as by being mounted on any conventional shaft 42the ends of which can be engaged, for example, or be carried by bearings44, one of which is received in each of a pair of mounting devices46,46. These mounting devices snugly engage with and are held againstrotation by the slots 36 to be vertically movable therealong ashereinafter described. The arms 38 of the support frame 32 have flangesthereon which carry a pair of set screws 48 and 50 at vertically spacedportions thereof. These set screws 48 and 50 are adapted to engage witha suitable recess provided in the mounting device or slide 46 or to bearon the slide 46 when at its upper or lower position, respectively, toretain the shaft and the auxiliary wheel 40 in a fixed position for loadsupport action or for carrying the wheel in inoperative form, asdesired.

As another important portion of the auxiliary wheel assembly 30, abearing means 60 is provided and this includes a mounting bracket 62that is suitably secured, as by welding, to the support member 18immediately adjacent the rear wheel sprocket 22 and such bracket extendsdownwardly from the support member. This bracket 62 in this instance isshown as provided with a diagonally extending slot 64 in which a bearingblock 66 is operatively positioned. Thus, FIG. 5 shows that this bearingblock will journal a shaft 68 therein as by means of a bearing 70. Theshaft 68 is shown as positioning a double sprocket 72 thereon with oneof the sprockets 72a being vertically aligned with and being movable toand from engagement with the drive chain 20, depending upon whether thebearing block 70 is in its lowered or elevated position, respectively.Again, a flanged portion 74 is provided on this bracket 62 and it mountsa pair of set screws 75 and 76 therein to en gage with the bearing block70 and retain this block in its elevated or lowered position, asdesired. The second sprocket 72b of the double sprocket has a drivechain 78 engaged therewith and this drive chain normally operativelyengages with a sprocket 80 carried by and secured to the shaft 42 onwhich the wheel 40 is mounted whereby when the sprocket 72b is engagedwith the drive chain, drive is transmitted to the auxiliary wheel 40when the motor of the motorcycle is operating. This will drive themotorcycle by the auxiliary wheel when it is in operative groundengaging position.

FIG. 1 of the drawings shows that the wheel 40 can be loweredto aposition wherein it will engage the ground and it will at that timeeither take all of the load off of the rear wheel 14 or possibly elevatesuch wheel slightly above the ground depending on whether or not thetire is deflated. Thus, a safety device has been provided for amotorcycle for temporary operation thereof when a deflated or damagedrear'wheel or tire or other accident to the support rear wheel occurs.In case of a flat front tire, the auxiliary wheel could be used torelieve load on the front wheel by varying the position of the rider onthe motorcycle seat. Or possibly the auxiliary wheel could be shiftedforwardly slightly on the cycle frame. The rider, by shifting his weighton the seat, can aid in the support action of the auxiliary wheel.Hence, it is believed that the objects of the invention have beenachieved.

While one complete embodiment of the invention has been disclosedherein, it will be appreciated that modification of this particularembodiment of the invention may be resorted to without departing fromthe scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a motorcycle including a front wheel, a rear wheel, aframe having a rearwardlyextending support member, and drive meansincluding a driven chain extending rearwardly adjacent the supportmember, with a support frame secured to said support member andextending downwardly therefrom adjacent said rear wheel, an auxiliarywhee] operatively journalled on said support frame and movablevertically thereof to and from a fixed lower position, a bearing meanscarried by said support member, sprocket and shaft means journalled insaid bearing means with said sprocket being engageable with said drivechain, drive means operatively connecting said sprocket to saidauxiliary wheel which is in operative ground engagement and in a loadsupport position adjacent said rear wheel at its said lower position;and said support frame being of inverted U-shape, said auxiliary wheelcarries a tire and is received between arms of said support frame, and ashaft for said auxiliary wheel is supported by said arms.

2. A combination as in claim 1 where said wheel in its said lowerposition has its lower peripheral surface at or below the supportsurface of said rear wheel.

3. A combination as in claim 1 where said auxiliary wheel is adjacent arear wheel of the cycle and removes load therefrom when the auxiliarywheel is in its lowered position, the auxiliary wheel position beingsuitably controlled in position in either an upper or lower position. v

4. A combination as in claim 3 where load on the front wheel can beremoved by the auxiliary wheel and by the rider moving rearwardly of thecycle seat.

5. In combination, a motorcycle including a frame having a rearwardlyextending support member, a front wheel, a rear wheel and drive meansincluding a driven chain extending rearwardly adjacent the supportmember, and characterized by a support frame secured to said supportmember and extending downwardly therefrom, a wheel journalled on saidsupport frame and movable vertically thereof between fixed upper andlower positions, a bearing means operatively carried by said supportmember and vertically movable between fixed upper and lower positions, adouble sprocket and shaft means journalled in said bearing means withone sprocket being movable to and from operative engagement with saiddriven chain, and a chain operatively connecting said wheel to thesecond sprocket of said double sprocket to drive said wheel when saidone sprocket engages said driven chain, said wheel being in groundengagement and load support position at its said lower position.

6. A combination as in claim 5 where said wheel is carried by a shaftsecured to a support block, said support block slidably engaging saidsupport frame for controlled vertical movement.

7. A combination as in claim 5 where said bearing means has controlledsliding movement in a bracket secured to said support member.

8. A combination as in claim 5 where the extent of movement of saidwheel and said bearing means are correlated and said chain operativelyengages said sprockets at all times.

1. In combination, a motorcycle including a front wheel, a rear wheel, aframe having a rearwardly extending support member, and drive meansincluding a driven chain extending rearwardly adjacent the supportmember, with a support frame secured to said support member andextending downwardly therefrom adjacent said rear wheel, an auxiliarywheel operatively journalled on said support frame and movablevertically thereof to and from a fixed lower position, a bearing meanscarried by said support member, sprocket and shaft means journalled insaid bearing means with said sprocket being engageable with said drivechain, drive means operatively connecting said sprocket to saidauxiliary wheel which is in operative ground engagement and in a loadsupport position adjacent said rear wheel at its said lower position;and said support frame being of inverted U-shape, said auxiliary wheelcarries a tire and is received between arms of said support frame, and ashaft for said auxiliary wheel is supported by said arms.
 2. Acombination as in claim 1 where said wheel in its said lower positionhas its lower peripheral surface at or below the support surface of saidrear wheel.
 3. A combination as in claim 1 where said auxiliary wheel isadjacent a rear wheel of the cycle and removes load therefrom when theauxiliary wheel is in its lowered position, the auxiliary wheel positionbeing suitably controlled in position in either an upper or lowerposition.
 4. A combination as in claim 3 where load on the front wheelcan be removed by the auxiliary wheel and by the rider moving rearwardlyof the cycle seat.
 5. In combination, a motorcycle including a framehaving a rearwardly extending support member, a front wheel, a rearwheel and drive means including a driven chain extending rearwardlyadjacent the support member, and characterized by a support framesecured to said support member and extending downwardly therefrom, awheel journalled on said support frame and movable vertically thereofbetween fixed upper and lower positions, a bearing means operativelycarried by said support member and vertically movable between fixedupper and lower positions, a double sprocket and shaft means journalledin said bearing means with one sprocket being movable to and fromoperative engagement with said driven chain, and a chain operaTivelyconnecting said wheel to the second sprocket of said double sprocket todrive said wheel when said one sprocket engages said driven chain, saidwheel being in ground engagement and load support position at its saidlower position.
 6. A combination as in claim 5 where said wheel iscarried by a shaft secured to a support block, said support blockslidably engaging said support frame for controlled vertical movement.7. A combination as in claim 5 where said bearing means has controlledsliding movement in a bracket secured to said support member.
 8. Acombination as in claim 5 where the extent of movement of said wheel andsaid bearing means are correlated and said chain operatively engagessaid sprockets at all times.